Big Valley History |
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History not finished. Come back sometime in the future!Big Valley History:Credit given to Marie Roberts of Bieber for this piece.We thank our pioneer parents for their bravery and spirit to settle a new territory. They had only their strength, to brave the weather and conditions they had to live under. By working together they had strength to build home and the roads to travel to other areas, to take the tinges they produced and bring back the other things they needed. Peter Lassen entered Honey Lake in 1855, while on a prospecting trip. In the extreme northwest part of Lassen County, Camped near Bieber where there is a natural hot spring. Big Valley long remained unpeopled by white men and a few Indians, "A no- mans land" between the protected Surprise and Fall River Valleys. It is true that occasional parties and settlers from neighboring valleys, traveled the plains of Big Valley all through the 1860s. Chalk Ford on the Pit River immediately north of the present Bieber bridge, was frequently used at this time, but danger of attacking Indians was always there so was uninviting to settlers. The experience of Milton Riggs and his party of 12 from Fall River Valley with the Indians in 1864 is indicative of the unwholesome environment of Big Valley. The party of 8 men who came to Bull Run from Fort Jones in Siskiyou County in 1869, and established a camp for a brief duration of 6 weeks, returned to Fort Jones, never to return. The arrival of Patrick Gordon and A.B. Turnbull, with their families in the fall of 1868, to locate about 3 miles southwest of Lookout, gave Big Valley some of its first settlers. April 15, 1869, Adin McDowell brought his family to the northeastern end of the valley, Adin. Benjamin F. Studley and Newton Stanley arrived in 1869, lived in Willow Creek, 3 miles from Adin. (101 Ranch) on Oct. 15, 1869 Frank Studley was the first white baby born in Big Valley, the cabin he was born in still stands today (a museum on the 101 Ranch. over 140 years the same family constant use.) In the begimming Adin was the only town in the valley. Blask had a drug store, Jim Beacker had a general merchandise store, and Jim Bedford had a store also Lapoint had an old gristmill where the farmers got their grist ground. Big Valley now in the 1870s became more settled. The town of Bieber now occupies the 160-acre homestead claimed by Theodore Pleisch in May 1873. Thus 1873 might be taken as the year one for Bieber. Pleisch cabin on the east bank of Pit River, approximately 100 yards north of the ford, very probably was the first dwelling house on the present town site. Construction of buildings by Antone and Will Gerig the next year, gave 3 houses within the range of modern Bieber, C.A. Mayhew came in 1872, by 1875 Chester Babcock and 4 Children, S.K. Packwood, Ed Harris, Ed Kennedy, James Jones, Richard Ricketts, Wm.H. Roney Charley Gerig, Antone Gerig, Peter Walsh, Charles Kenyon. Nathan Bieber appeared in Big Valley in 1877 to help manabe Josephson store, then located south of Pumpkin Center. Josephson, operating for Bieber's Uncle Max Pasner, came to Big Valley 1876. All seemed satisfactory, and in 1877 Josephson and Bieber under the direction of Pasner opened the first Bieber store. At this Time, young Bieber and Josephson built the Bieber residence, it was the 1st home of sizes in the locality. Briber was just a ford to cross the river and at that time was know as Chalk Ford. The town was founded on a homesteads consisted of 160 acres of claimed by Theodore Pleish in May 1873. With the increase of settlers and the likelihood of increased business, it was deemed practical to lay out a town. The presence of a surveyor saw that event read actuality in the year 1877. It is recorded that 4 buildings were erected in that year. The Town Plot was surveyed by William R. Schooler, starting in 1881 and was officially approved and filed as the Town on Dec. 10, 1883 W.F. Lamberth Blacksmith shop 1878 was the 1st. Establishment of that kind in Bieber and was located about 250 feet northeast of the store. In 1878 Andrew Koegel's saloon was north 100 feet from the store. In 1879 Bieber began to extend itself. Among the new building of 1879 was J.T. Boyds residence described as the finest house in Big Valley outside of Adin. The construction of the oil " Odd Fellows Hall" however easily takes first importance in improvements of the town in 1879. N. Bieber and Co. advertised offering Gentleman's dress pants for $2.00, heavy boots for $4.00. Bieber Hotel Changed hands in 1879, with Doc. Philliber as new manager. A photographer from San Francisco arrived Aug. 13, 1879 and in 1879 Dewitt had set out 300 walnut trees. The election of 1879 gave Bieber a busy day, 23 votes were cast, J.H. McBride for Sheriff and John Bassett for Supervisor. Before 1874 the people of this section of the valley, received their mail, called Big Valley Post Office, Located on the present road to Adin. (Hunt Ranch- Ash Creek Wildlife Area Headquarters). Blacksmith shop and mail. In 1875 Jim Packwood gathered signatures on a petition, which was to be sent to the Postal Authorities requesting a new post office. The post office of Argusvaille resulted. Located at Hillside Station near where the highway begins to ascend Big Valley Mt. with Columbus Chandler as Postmaster. In 1879 two big events occurred, the town changed its name from Chalk Ford to Bieber and a new post office was named Bieber and the postmaster was Nathan Bieber. Bieber June 1880 boasted of a business district as follows: 3 stores, 2 saloons, 2 shoemakers, 1 blacksmith shop, 1 public hall the Odd Fellows Hall, a livery stable, 1 hotel, 1 restaurant. May 6, 1881 Bieber's first issue of Mt. Tribune, Thomas Ford, editor. Dec. 31, 1892, N. Bieber bought and edited the Big Valley Gazette, By the summer of 1888; Bieber counted between 250 and 300 inhabitants. In 1889 Bieber needed a Jail. Feb.4, 1889 Supervisor put up $250. For the construction. Adin's History:A nice history of Adin is on Adin Supply's website.Lassen County and Modoc County History:Lots of historical information about Lassen County is at the Genweb project at http://www.cagenweb.com . CAGenWeb's mission is to provide a single entry point for all counties and towns within the state of California, where collected data will be stored. Some shortcuts to Lassen and Modoc information is geiven below, but visit the U.S. Genweb project which will lead you to a lot of United States historical information.
Notes:Chalk Ford, one only has to visit the Highway 299 Pit River Bridge in Bieber, particulaly at low water, to see the white chalk like soft rock at the base of the river. Ford, meaning a river crossing, gave this place it's name. Grist, Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. |
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